A security barrier for a vessel

ABSTRACT

A barrier (1) installed on a generally upright structure, the structure being generally elongate and protruding from a surface to rise to a first height above the surface, wherein: the barrier has a front surface (10), which lies on a first side of the upright structure, and a rear surface (13), which lies either on the same side, or on the opposite side, of the upright structure, the front and rear surfaces being connected to each other; the barrier rises to a second height above the surface, the second height being higher than the first height; and neither of the front and rear surfaces of the barrier significantly protrudes in a direction which is generally perpendicular to the plane of the upright structure than the other of the front and rear surfaces of the barrier.

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a security barrier for a vessel, and inparticular to a barrier which helps to prevent stowaways and otherunwanted persons from boarding a vessel.

The owners and operators of larger ocean-going vessels, such as cargoships and container ships, frequently encounter problems with stowaways.Stowaways are sometimes able to bypass port security and to board avessel from the quayside along which the vessel is berthed. Dependingupon the level of the vessel's main deck relative to the quayside (whichwill depend on vessel size and tide level, for example), a stowaway maybe able to jump or scramble across the gap between the quayside and thevessel, over the hand rail and onto the deck of the vessel. A stowawaycan then secrete him/herself in a store, lifeboat or other area on thevessel, in the hope that they can remain undiscovered when the vesseldeparts.

While stowaways may generally attempt to gain access to a vessel from aquayside, stowaways could also attempt to access a vessel while thevessel is at anchor in a coastal area awaiting port entry (e.g. fromanother vessel which is close by), or even in transit from port to port,for example in the Mediterranean.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a security barrierwhich prevents or hinders stowaways from gaining access to vessels.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides a barrierinstalled on a generally upright structure, the structure beinggenerally elongate and protruding from a surface to rise to a firstheight above the surface, wherein: the barrier has a front surface,which lies on a first side of the upright structure, and a rear surface,which lies either on the same side, or on the opposite side, of theupright structure, the front and rear surfaces being connected to eachother; the barrier rises to a second height above the surface, thesecond height being higher than the first height; and neither of thefront and rear surfaces of the barrier significantly protrudes in adirection which is generally perpendicular to the plane of the uprightstructure than the other of the front and rear surfaces of the barrier.

Advantageously, the front and/or rear surface of the barrier is attachedto the upright structure.

Preferably, both the front and rear surfaces of the barrier rest on, orlie close to, the surface from which the generally upright structureprotrudes.

Conveniently, the front or rear surface of the barrier terminates at afree end which is positioned at a distance above the surface from whichthe generally upright structure protrudes.

Advantageously, the front surface terminates at a free end which ispositioned above the surface from which the generally upright structureprotrudes, and the barrier further comprises an infill panel whichextends between the surface and the lower edge of the front surface.

Preferably, in the region of the barrier above the top of the uprightstructure, the front and rear surfaces of the barrier are attached toone another.

Conveniently, the connection between the front and rear surfacescomprises a region of one of the one or more flexible panels which iscurved through an angle.

Advantageously, at least the front surface of the barrier issubstantially smooth, and does not present any protruding features.

Preferably, the barrier does not comprise a significant overhang oneither side of the upright structure.

Conveniently, the upright structure is a rail structure, comprising atleast one elongate rail running generally parallel with the surface fromwhich the upright structure protrudes.

Advantageously, the rail structure is a guard rail on the deck of avessel.

Another aspect of the invention provides a barrier installed on agenerally upright structure, the structure being generally elongate andprotruding from a surface to rise to a first height above the surface,wherein: the barrier is formed from a sheet of material which lies on afirst side of the upright structure; the barrier rises to a secondheight above the surface, the second height being higher than the firstheight; and the barrier does not significantly protrudes in a directionwhich is generally perpendicular to the plane of the upright structuremore in one direction that the other.

Preferably, the sheet of material from which the barrier is formed isarranged to be generally planar, and parallel or substantially parallelwith the upright structure.

Conveniently, the second height is at least 125% of the first height,and is more preferably at least 150% of the first height.

Advantageously, the barrier further comprises a support element, whichis attached to the upright structure and protrudes above the firstheight, and provides support to the barrier.

Preferably, the barrier is formed from one or more sheets of flexiblematerial.

Conveniently, at least one of the sheets of material from which thebarrier is formed may be arranged to adopt a flat or substantially flatconfiguration without damaging the sheet, and preferably wherein all ofthe sheets of material from which the barrier is formed may be arrangedto adopt a flat or substantially flat configuration without damaging thesheet.

Advantageously, at least one of the one or more sheets of material hasscore lines or other features formed therein to cause the sheet to bendpreferentially at one or more predetermined locations.

A further aspect of the invention provides a series of barriers, eachaccording to any of the above, attached side-by-side along the uprightstructure.

Preferably, the edges of each barrier touch, or lie near, the edges ofadjacent barriers.

Conveniently, at least one of the barriers comprises a region whichoverlaps with an adjacent barrier.

Advantageously, the barrier and the adjacent barrier are attached toeach other in the region of the overlap.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of installing abarrier on an upright structure, which is elongate and rises to a firstheight above a surface from which the upright structure protrudes, themethod comprising the steps of: providing a barrier having a frontsurface and a rear surface, the front and rear surfaces being connectedto each other; and attaching the barrier to the upright structure, sothat the first surface of the barrier lies on a first side of theupright structure and the second surface of the barrier lies either onthe same side, or on the opposite side, of the upright structure, sothat the barrier rises to a second height above the surface, the secondheight being higher than the first height, and so that neither of thefront and rear surfaces of the barrier significantly protrudes in adirection which is generally perpendicular to the plane of the uprightstructure than the other of the front and rear surfaces of the barrier.

Preferably, the barrier comprises one or more sheets of flexiblematerial, and the method further comprising the steps of: removing thebarrier from the upright structure; and attaching at least one of theone or more sheets of flexible material to the upright structure to forman alternative barrier, which protrudes in a direction which isgenerally perpendicular to the plane of the upright structuresignificantly more on one side of the upright structure than on theother.

Conveniently, the barrier comprises one or more sheets of flexiblematerial, and the method further comprising the steps of: removing thebarrier from the upright structure; and arranging the or each sheet offlexible material adopt a flat or substantially flat configuration.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a method ofinstalling a barrier on an upright structure, which is elongate andrises to a first height above a surface from which the upright structureprotrudes, the method comprising the steps of: providing a barrier whichis formed from a sheet of material; and positioning the sheet ofmaterial on a first side of the upright structure, such that the barrierrises to a second height above the surface, the second height beinghigher than the first height, and the barrier does not significantlyprotrudes in a direction which is generally perpendicular to the planeof the upright structure more in one direction that the other.

Advantageously, the method further comprises the steps of: removing thesheet of material from the upright structure; and arranging the sheet offlexible material adopt a flat or substantially flat configuration.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, embodimentsthereof will now be described by way of example, with reference to theaccompanying figures, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first barrier embodying the present invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show additional features of the barrier of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 shows a second barrier embodying the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a third barrier embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 7 shows a known type of barrier having an overhang.

Turning firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2, perspective and side elevation viewsare shown of a first barrier 1 embodying the present invention.

The first barrier 1 is shown in place on the deck 2 of a ship. As iscommon for larger vessels such as cargo vessels, the deck 2 has a shortupstanding plate (sometimes known as the ‘fish plate’) 3 which is set ata short distance away from the outer edge 4 of the deck 2.

Positioned along the edge of the deck 2, shortly behind the fish plate3, is a guard rail 5. The guard rail 5 comprises a top rail 6, and (inthis embodiment) first and second lower rails 7, 8 with the first lowerrail 7 being positioned above the second lower rail 8.

The guard rail 5 further has upright supports or stanchions 9, whichrise vertically or substantially vertically from the deck 2 and areconnected to the rails 6, 7, 8. On a typical guard rail the stanchions 9are provided at spaced-apart, regular intervals.

The first barrier 1 has a front surface 10, which is generally planarand positioned on the outboard side of the guard rail 5. A lower edge 11of the front surface 10 rests on, or lies near, the surface of the deck2, and in the embodiment shown is positioned behind the fish plate 3.

The front surface 10 rises to a height which is significantly above thatof the top rail 6 of the guard rail 5. The guard rails on a cargo vesselmay, for instance, have a height of 1.2 m above the level of the deck.In preferred embodiments, the top part of the barrier 1 is at a heightabove the surface of the deck 2 which is at least 125%, or at least150%, or more than 250%, of the height of the top rail 6 of the guardrail 5 above the surface of the deck 2.

At the top of the front surface 10 there is a transition region 12, inwhich the material forming the barrier curves rearwardly (i.e. in theinboard direction, relative to the vessel) and downwardly, to join arear surface 13. The rear surface 13 is preferably parallel with thefront surface 10, and extends behind (i.e. on an inboard side of) theguard rail 5. The rear surface 13 preferably extends to rest on, or lieclose to, the surface of the deck 2.

In preferred embodiments, the width of the front surface 10 is equal, orsubstantially equal, to that of the rear surface 13. Preferably, thewidth of the transition region 12 is also equal to, or substantiallyequal to, that of both the front and rear surfaces 10, 13.

The barrier 1 is preferably formed from a robust, flexible material,such as a plastics material.

In preferred embodiments the barrier 1 is formed from a single sheet ofmaterial, which may be generally elongate and of constant orsubstantially constant width along its length. The sheet of material maybe positioned so that one end thereof rests on the surface of the deck2, either inboard or outboard of the guard rail 5, and the sheet maythen be attached to the guard rail 5 (described in more detail below).The sheet may then be bent and/or folded through around 180° to form thetransition region 12. The other end of the sheet will then lie on theother side of the guard rail 5, and can be attached or secured to theguard rail 5 to form the completed barrier 1.

The barrier 1 may be attached to the guard rail 5 by any suitable means.For instance, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of spaced-apart loopedstraps may be provided to attach the barrier 1 to the top rail 6. On thefront and rear surfaces 10, 13, respective upper and lower attachmentholes 14,15 may be formed, with each upper attachment hole 14 beingdirectly or substantially directly above the lower attachment hole 15(i.e. generally aligned therewith in the longitudinal direction of thesheet of material that forms the barrier 1). Straps 16 may then bepassed through the attachment holes 14, 15 formed in the front and rearsurfaces 10,13, so that each strap 16 passes (for example) from a rear(i.e. inboard) side of the barrier 1, through both of the lowerattachment holes 15 to the front (i.e. outboard) side thereof, and thenback through the upper attachment holes 14 to the rear side of thebarrier 1, before being attached to itself at the rear side using abuckle, ratchet connector, or any other suitable means, to form a closedloop.

Similar attachments may be applied to attach the barrier 1 to either orboth of the first and second lower rails 7, 8.

The skilled reader will appreciate that there are many different ways inwhich the barrier 1 may be attached to the guard rail 5, and theinvention is not limited to the use of loop straps or the like.

The attachment of the barrier 1 to one or more of the rails 6, 7, 8 ofthe guard rail 5 helps to keep the barrier 1 in place, and to prevent itfrom being lifted upwardly off the guard rail 5. In addition, thebarrier 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is formed from bending/folding a sheetof flexible and resilient material at the transition region 12. If it isnot retained in this shape, the sheet of material will resume itsoriginal, generally flat shape. Attaching the front and rear surfaces10, 13 of the barrier 1 to each other helps to ensure that the barrier 1remains in the desired shape.

The sheet of material from which the barrier 1 is formed may be providedwith one or more score lines, or other features, which allow the sheetto bend preferentially in the region of the score lines. The score linesmay be positioned so that the sheet may bend relatively easily to formthe intended shape for the barrier 1. The score lines may, in preferredembodiments, be formed across the entire width of the sheet of material,and may be formed on the outer side, the inner side, or on both sides.

The skilled reader will appreciate that alternative features, other thanscore lines, may be used to allow the barrier to bend preferentially atdesired points. In some embodiments, no score lines or other features ofthis kind are provided.

It will be understood that the barrier 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 providesa barrier which will make it significantly more difficult for apotential stowaway to gain access to the vessel. The front surface 10 ofthe barrier 1 is taller than the guard rail 6, and is preferably of aheight which will be very difficult for most individuals to scale. Inembodiments of the invention the total height of the barrier above thedeck 2 may be 2.5 m, or even higher. Moreover, at least the frontsurface of the barrier 1 is preferably continuous (i.e. including nosignificant protrusions, dents, holes or other similar features) andformed from a smooth material presenting no external features which maybe used as hand or foot holds, and the transition region 12 preferablycomprises a smoothly curved portion of this material, which will beextremely difficult to climb over.

While the barrier 1 is shown in isolation in FIG. 1 for the purposes ofclarity, it is envisaged that in use a series of barriers 1 will beprovided side-by-side, with their edges touching one another, so as toprovide an effectively continuous barrier passing along the length ofthe guard rail 5. Barriers can be provided around the perimeter of avessel, on one or more decks, to provide a barrier that hinders orprevents stowaways from gaining access to the vessel at all placesaround the vessel, which may otherwise allow stowaways to access thevessel relatively easily.

In preferred embodiments, the front and rear surfaces 10, 13 of thebarrier 1 are attached to each other above the level of the top rail 6of the guard rail 5. This is in order to maintain the desired shape ofthe barrier 1, and to prevent the front and rear surfaces 10, 13 fromspreading too far apart from one another, due to the elastic nature ofthe material from which the barrier 1 is formed.

As shown in FIG. 3, this attachment may take the form of further loopedstraps 17, which are threaded between the front and rear surfaces 10, 13of the barrier 1 in a similar manner to the looped straps 16, describedabove, which attach the barrier 1 to the top rail 6. The further loopedstraps 17 pass through respective upper and lower attachment holes 18,19, which are formed in both the front and rear surfaces 10, 13 of thebarrier 1, and may be tightened to draw the front and rear surfaces 10,13 towards one another.

Once again, any other suitable method of attaching the front and rearsurfaces 10, 13 of the barrier 1 to each other, and preventing thesurfaces 10, 13 from being above a set distance from one another, at aposition above the top rail 6 of the guard rail 5, may be used.

In other embodiments, the front surface may be formed from a first sheetof material, and the rear surface may be formed from a second (separate)sheet of material, and the top parts of the first and second sheets ofmaterial may be attached together. In preferred examples of this kind ofarrangement, the top parts of the first and second sheets of materialmay lie generally parallel to each other, and be attached together byany suitable means, for instance by looped straps and/or bolts.Embodiments of this kind may have an advantage in that the connectionbetween the front surface and the rear surface does not comprise a bendin a resilient/elastic sheet of material, and it will therefore not benecessary to form connections, or take other measures, to prevent thebarrier from bulging outwardly at its top region.

In order to maintain the desired shape for the portion of the barrier 1that rises above the top rail 6 of the guard rail 5, it may be necessaryor desirable to include a support element, which is preferably attachedto one or more of the rails 6, 7, 8 of the guard rail 5, and extendsupwardly above the level of the top rail 6 to provide support to thebarrier 1. A support element of this kind, in the form of a support rod20, is shown in FIG. 4, which shows a side elevation view of the barrier1, apart from which the looped straps 16, 17 are omitted for thepurposes of clarity.

The support rod 20 takes the form of a generally elongate supportmember, and may for instance comprise a wooden pole or metal bar. Thesupport rod 20 is positioned on the rear (i.e. inboard) side of theguard rail 5, and is oriented generally vertically, i.e. protrudingdirectly upwardly in a direction which is substantially perpendicular tothe plane of the top surface of the deck 2.

The support rod 20 is attached, in the embodiment shown, to the top rail6 and to the first intermediate rail 7. The support rod 20 rises abovethe level of the top rail 6, and in the embodiment shown extends closeto the top of the transition region 12 of the barrier 1.

The barrier 1 is placed around the support rod 20 so that, once thebarrier 1 is fully installed, the support rod 20 is entirely containedwithin the barrier 1.

The support rod 20 may be attached to the rail 6, 7 of the guard rail 5by any suitable means. For instance, holes (not shown) may be formedthrough the support rod 20, and loop straps or ratchet ties (not shown)may pass through these holes and around the rail 6, 7 of the guard rail5. The support rod 20 may be attached to an internal part of the barrier1, by any suitable means. The support rod 20 is preferably providedsubstantially midway along the width of the barrier 1, i.e. generallycentrally disposed within the barrier 1.

In the example shown, only one support rod 20 is provided for thebarrier 1. Where several barriers 1 are provided side-by-side, it isenvisaged that one support rod 20 will be provided for each barrier 1.

However, where required by the circumstances, two or more support rods20 may be provided for one barrier 1, and this may particularly be thecase if the barrier 1 is relatively wide.

Alternatively, where several barriers are provided side-by-side and thebarriers are attached together, it may be possible to support thebarriers as a whole through the use of one support rod 20 positionedwithin every second barrier (for example), with intermediate barriersnot having any support rods provided therein.

The skilled reader will understand that an appropriate number of supportrods may be provided, depending on the requirements of any particularapplication.

It will be understood that the provision of a support element within thebarrier 1 will greatly increase the rigidity of the barrier 1,particularly in the region above the top rail 6 of the guard rail 5. Ifthe barrier 1 is formed from a relatively thin material, and anindividual attempts to climb over the top of the barrier, if no supportelement is provided then the top of the barrier may bend or otherwisedeform, thus making it easier for the individual to climb over thebarrier 1. The provision of a support element, such as a support rod 20,will make such bending or deforming much less likely.

Instead of a single, generally vertical support rod, any other suitablesupport arrangement may be used. For instance, a pair of crossed supportrods may be provided within a barrier.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1-4, both the front and rear surfaces 10,13 of the barrier 1 extend to the level of the deck 2.

FIG. 5 shows a second barrier 21 embodying the present invention, whichis similar in many respects to the first barrier 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to4. Once again, the looped attachment straps have been omitted from thisfigure for the purposes of clarity.

The front surface 10 of the barrier 21 extends to the level of the deck2, and again rests on the deck 2, behind (i.e. inboard of) the fishplate 3.

However, the rear surface 13 of the barrier 21 does not extend to thelevel of the deck, and terminates at a free end 22, which issignificantly above the level of the deck 2. In the embodiment shown,the free end 22 is below the first intermediate rail 7, but above thesecond intermediate rail 8. The rear surface 13 may therefore beattached both to the top rail 6 and to the first intermediate rail 7.However, the fact that the rear surface 13 does not extend to thesurface of the deck 2 means that overall the barrier 21 is formed from ashorter length of material, and is therefore lighter, easier totransport and store, and cheaper to manufacture. Crucially, the frontsurface 10, which is the surface faced by a potential stowaway, stilloccupies the entire height of the barrier 21. The fact that the rearsurface 13 does not extend to deck level will not greatly affect thestrength or any other aspect of the performance of the barrier 21.

Turning to FIG. 6, a third barrier 23 embodying the present invention isshown. As with the second barrier 21, the rear surface 13 of the barrier23 terminates at an end point 22 which is above the level of the deck 2,and in this case lies between the first and second intermediate rails 7,8.

However, with this third barrier 23, the front surface 10 of the barrier23 also terminates at a free end 24 which is above the level of the deck2. In the example shown, this free end 24 lies between the secondintermediate rail 8 (i.e. the lowest rail of the guard rail 5) and thedeck 2 itself. Preferably, the free end 24 lies, when barrier 23 isfully installed, closer to the level of the second intermediate rail 8than the level of the deck 2.

To avoid presenting a gap through which a stowaway may be able to fit inorder to gain access to the vessel, an infill panel 25 extends betweenthe free end 24 at the lower edge of the front surface 10 of the barrier23 and the surface of the deck 2. The infill panel 25 is preferablyprovided on the rear (i.e. inboard) side of the front surface 10 of thebarrier 23, and extends above the level of the free end 24 thereof. Theregion where the front surface 10 of the barrier 23 and the infill panel25 overlap therefore does not present any useful grip orhandhold/toehold.

The infill panel 25 may be attached to the second intermediate rail 8and/or to the front side 10 of the barrier 23, for instance throughlooped straps as discussed above, and the skilled person will realisethat there are many ways in which this may be achieved.

Installing the barrier 23 in this manner allows the maximum possibleheight of the barrier 23, given the overall length of the sheet ofmaterial from which the barrier 23 is formed.

Providing a barrier which is formed from a shorter length of materialconfers advantages, as discussed above, in that the barrier is smaller,lighter and cheaper to produce. It will also be necessary, at certaintimes, to remove the barriers from around the perimeter of the vesseland to store the barriers awaiting subsequent use. The barriers may bestored, for instance, in boxes or containers provided on the vessel,either above or below the main deck of the vessel. If the barriers areformed from sheets of material which are shorter, this will make storage(and transportation) of the barriers significantly more convenient.

In the embodiments described above, the main part of the barrier isformed from a single, unbroken and unitary sheet of material. However,the barrier may be formed from two or more sheets of material which arejoined together. For instance, the front part 10 and the transitionregion 12 may be formed from a first sheet of material, and the backpart 13 may be formed from a second, separate sheet of material. The twosheets of material are preferably removably attachable to one another,for instance by loop straps, studs, rivets, nuts and bolts, or any othersuitable means. However, the two sheets of material may be permanentlyattached to each other (i.e. attached in such a way that separation ofthe sheets will lead to damage of one or both sheets).

The skilled reader will appreciate that formation of the barrier fromtwo more sheets of material will greatly ease storage and transportationof the barrier.

Several designs of barrier have been proposed which include asignificant overhang on the outboard side of the guard rail, to preventboarders from climbing up and over the barrier from a starting positionbeneath the level of the barrier. Examples of such overhanging barrierscan be seen in WO 2013/072704 and WO 2016/102929.

By contrast, barriers disclosed herein generally do not comprise asignificant overhang on the outboard side of the barrier. Rather, thebarriers disclosed herein have a generally planar configuration, risingvertically (or substantially vertically) with respect to the deck of avessel on both the front and rear sides.

As can be seen in the illustrations, in the transition region 12 of thebarriers, where the barriers are curved through around 180°, thematerial from which the barrier is formed will generally bulgeoutwardly, in both the inboard and outboard directions. However, thisdoes not constitute an overhang, as appears in the examples mentionedabove. An overhang, in this context, is a part of the barrier, which isgenerally bulbous and/or smooth in cross-sectional shape, which extendssignificantly outwardly, in the outboard direction, generally by atleast 0.5 m or 1 m. Barriers having an overhang are generallysignificantly asymmetric, having a laterally-extending overhang on theoutboard side, and no corresponding feature on the inboard side.

By contrast, the barriers disclosed herein will generally not extendlaterally more on the outboard side than on the inboard side. Anylateral extension of the barrier at or around the transition region 12will generally arise from the properties of the material from which thebarrier is made, i.e. this material cannot, without sustaining permanentdamage be bent or folded through a sharp turn.

When installed, barriers embodying the present invention may begenerally symmetrical in shape, about a plane, containing (or lyingparallel with) a guard rail on which the barrier is installed.

Embodiments of the invention provide a barrier which can be placed, atthe choice of an operator, either in an overhang-type configuration, orin a configuration as described above, which is more suitable forpreventing stowaways from gaining access to the vessel when the vesselis anchored at a quayside.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a known overhang-type barrier 26, whichis formed from a single sheet 27 of material. At a lower end 28, thesheet rests on the deck 2, in front of the fish plate 3. The sheet 27extends upwardly, passing in front of the second intermediate rail 8,and then behind the first intermediate rail 7 and the top rail 6.

The sheet 27 then curves in an outboard direction, to form a bulbousoverhang 29, and the upper free end 30 of the sheet 27 passes under thefirst intermediate rail 7 to meet a middle part of the sheet 27, andform a closed loop, in the region of the first intermediate rail 7. Thesingle sheet 27 therefore generally forms a P-shape, in cross-section,including a bulbous overhang on the outboard side.

The single sheet 27 may be held in place, and attached to the rails 6,7, 8 of the guard rail 5, and also be connected to itself, in the regionof the upper free end 30, by looped straps, or any other suitable means.

It is envisaged that a barrier 26 of this kind may be removed from theguard rail 5, and the single sheet 27 may then be arranged andbent/folded in a different manner, to form a barrier 1, 21, 23 of any ofthe types discussed above. The sheet 27 may have attachment holes formedtherein which allow looped straps or the like to be used to hold thesheet 27 in place to form the overhang-type barrier 26. When the sheet27 is formed into a barrier without an overhang, of the type discussedabove, the same attachment holes may be used to hold the barrier inplace in this configuration. Alternatively, at least some of theattachment holes formed through the sheet 27 may be used in only one orthe other of the configurations.

The above description states that a series of barriers may be placedside-by-side along the guardrail of a vessel (or along an alternativeupright structure), with the edges of each barrier lying beside, ortouching, the edges of the adjacent barriers. However, it is alsoenvisaged that adjacent barriers may have a region of overlap. In theseembodiments, adjacent barriers may be attached to one another, at theregion of overlap, to increase the stiffness, strength and/or integrityof the series of barriers as a whole.

For example, where the barriers are each formed from a single sheet ofmaterial, the sheet may have a protruding section, which is wider thanthe remainder of the sheet. This protruding section may be arranged tolie, when the barrier is installed, as part of the rear surface of eachbarrier (although the protruding section may be arranged to lie on thefront surface, or on both the front and rear surfaces). The protrudingsection may be provided on one side only of the sheet of material. Whena series of barriers are installed together side-by-side, the protrudingsection of each barrier may extend to overlap part of an adjacentbarrier.

Where each barrier is formed from two or more sheets of material, onesheet of material may be wider than the others, and the additional widthof this sheet may provide a protrusion which extends to overlap part ofan adjacent barrier. If each barrier comprises a first sheet of materialwhich primarily forms the rear surface, and a second sheet of materialwhich primarily forms the front surface, the first sheet of material ispreferably wider than the second sheet of material (although this neednot be the case).

The protruding section may be attached to the adjacent barrier, forinstance by looped straps, bolts, or any other suitable means. Theskilled reader will understand how this will strengthen the installationof barriers, help to maintain adjacent barriers in correct alignmentwith each other, and reduce the risk of gaps appearing between barriersthat might provide a handhold/foothold or attachment point.

The barriers described above have a front surface and a rear surface,which are connected to each other. It is also envisaged that barriersembodying the present invention may comprise a single sheet of material,which is arranged on the front (i.e. outboard) side of the guardrail,and simply protrudes upwardly, terminating at a free end at the topthereof. The single sheet of material may be generally planar, i.e. notsignificantly curved or bent. In preferred embodiments no further sheetof material is provided to form a rear surface or the like.

The single sheet of material may be attached to the guardrail by anyconvenient means, e.g. by looped straps.

It is envisaged that a barrier formed from a single sheet of materialwill require reinforcement if it is to maintain an appropriate shape,particularly if significant external forces act on the sheet, e.g.arising from a person attempting to climb over the barrier. A supportelement (e.g. as described above, and illustrated in FIG. 4) may be usedto support the barrier and to maintain the shape of the barrier.Alternatively, or in addition, barriers of this kind may be installed ina series along the guardrail, and may overlap each other to providereinforcement to each other. It will be understood that installingbarriers of this kind such that they overlap each other will berelatively straightforward. The sheet of material that comprises eachbarrier may be formed with, for examples, attachment holes at its sideregions, so that the sides of adjacent barriers may be easily attachedtogether by way of looped straps, bolts, or any other suitable means.

The skilled reader will appreciate that the barriers disclosed hereinwill be useful in many applications, in particular where stowaways orother unwanted boarders may attempt to get access to a vessel from aheight which is roughly level with the deck of the vessel.

In the discussion above, the barriers are disclosed as being provided onguard rails, including a series of spaced-apart, horizontal rails.However, it is envisaged that barriers may be attached to othergenerally upright structures, such as fences or solid walls, which maybe located on land, rather than at sea. For instance, barriers of thetype discussed above may be installed along the length of a fence toreduce the likelihood of an unauthorized person being able to cross thefence.

In the discussion above, the barriers have a front surface, which ispositioned on the outboard side of a guardrail, and a rear surface,which is positioned on the inboard side of the guardrail. However, inother embodiments both the front and rear surfaces may be positioned onthe outboard side of the guardrail. In these embodiments, it isenvisaged that the rear surface (and optionally also the front surface)of the barrier will be attached to the guardrail, and from thediscussion above the skilled reader will understand how this may beachieved. Where the barrier is to be installed on a wall or othergenerally solid upright structure, the barrier may need to be attachedto the wall by way of one or more fixtures provided on the wall, forinstance one or more metal loops which are sunk or drilled into thewall.

An advantageous feature of the barriers described above is that thebarriers are formed from one or more sheets of material, each of which,when not in use, can adopt a flat or substantially flat configuration(i.e. arranged so that the all or substantially all of the sheetgenerally lies in the same plane). This will make storage andtransportation of the barrier significantly easier. As discussed above,when not in use the sheet(s) of material that make up a barrier might bestored in containers or other storage units, and when used in connectionwith a maritime vessel these units may be positioned either below orabove deck. Since the sheets of material can be laid flat orsubstantially flat, they can be easily stacked or otherwise arranged ina manner that uses space efficiently. The skilled reader will understandthat this will not be possible with barriers that are formed to have apermanent curved, bulbous or otherwise non-flat shape, and such barrierscan make far less efficient use of space when in storage or beingtransported.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms “comprises” and“comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features,steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted toexclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the followingclaims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific formsor in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or amethod or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate,may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised forrealising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

1.-27. (canceled)
 28. A barrier installed on a generally uprightstructure, the structure being generally elongate and protruding from asurface to rise to a first height above the surface, wherein: thebarrier has a front surface, which lies on a first side of the uprightstructure, and a rear surface, which lies either on the same side, or onthe opposite side, of the upright structure, the front and rear surfacesbeing connected to each other; the barrier rises to a second heightabove the surface, the second height being higher than the first height;and neither of the front and rear surfaces of the barrier significantlyprotrudes in a direction which is generally perpendicular to the planeof the upright structure than the other of the front and rear surfacesof the barrier.
 29. A barrier according to claim 28, wherein the frontand/or rear surface of the barrier is attached to the upright structure.30. A barrier according to claim 28, wherein both the front and rearsurfaces of the barrier rest on, or lie close to, the surface from whichthe generally upright structure protrudes.
 31. A barrier according toclaim 28, wherein the front or rear surface of the barrier terminates ata free end which is positioned at a distance above the surface fromwhich the generally upright structure protrudes.
 32. A barrier accordingto claim 28, wherein, in the region of the barrier above the top of theupright structure, the front and rear surfaces of the barrier areattached to one another.
 33. A barrier according to claim 28, wherein atleast the front surface of the barrier is substantially smooth, and doesnot present any protruding features.
 34. A barrier according to claim28, wherein the barrier does not comprise a significant overhang oneither side of the upright structure.
 35. A barrier according to claim28, wherein the upright structure is a rail structure, comprising atleast one elongate rail running generally parallel with the surface fromwhich the upright structure protrudes.
 36. A barrier according to claim35, wherein the rail structure is a guard rail on the deck of a vessel.37. A barrier installed on a generally upright structure, the structurebeing generally elongate and protruding from a surface to rise to afirst height above the surface, wherein: the barrier is formed from asheet of material which lies on a first side of the upright structure;the barrier rises to a second height above the surface, the secondheight being higher than the first height; and the barrier does notsignificantly protrudes in a direction which is generally perpendicularto the plane of the upright structure more in one direction that theother.
 38. A barrier according to claim 37, wherein the sheet ofmaterial from which the barrier is formed is arranged to be generallyplanar, and parallel or substantially parallel with the uprightstructure.
 39. A barrier according to claim 28, wherein the secondheight is at least 125% of the first height, and is more preferably atleast 150% of the first height.
 40. A barrier according to claim 28,further comprising a support element, which is attached to the uprightstructure and protrudes above the first height, and provides support tothe barrier.
 41. A barrier according to claim 28, wherein the barrier isformed from one or more sheets of flexible material.
 42. A barrieraccording to claim 41, wherein at least one of the sheets of materialfrom which the barrier is formed may be arranged to adopt a flat orsubstantially flat configuration without damaging the sheet, andpreferably wherein all of the sheets of material from which the barrieris formed may be arranged to adopt a flat or substantially flatconfiguration without damaging the sheet.
 43. A barrier according toclaim 41, wherein at least one of the one or more sheets of material hasscore lines or other features formed therein to cause the sheet to bendpreferentially at one or more predetermined locations.
 44. A series ofbarriers, each according to claim 28, attached side-by-side along theupright structure.
 45. A method of installing a barrier on an uprightstructure, which is elongate and rises to a first height above a surfacefrom which the upright structure protrudes, the method comprising thesteps of: providing a barrier having a front surface and a rear surface,the front and rear surfaces being connected to each other; and attachingthe barrier to the upright structure, so that the first surface of thebarrier lies on a first side of the upright structure and the secondsurface of the barrier lies either on the same side, or on the oppositeside, of the upright structure, so that the barrier rises to a secondheight above the surface, the second height being higher than the firstheight, and so that neither of the front and rear surfaces of thebarrier significantly protrudes in a direction which is generallyperpendicular to the plane of the upright structure than the other ofthe front and rear surfaces of the barrier.
 46. A method according toclaim 45, wherein the barrier comprises one or more sheets of flexiblematerial, the method further comprising the steps of: removing thebarrier from the upright structure; and attaching at least one of theone or more sheets of flexible material to the upright structure to forman alternative barrier, which protrudes in a direction which isgenerally perpendicular to the plane of the upright structuresignificantly more on one side of the upright structure than on theother.
 47. A method according to claim 45, wherein the barrier comprisesone or more sheets of flexible material, the method further comprisingthe steps of: removing the barrier from the upright structure; andarranging the or each sheet of flexible material adopt a flat orsubstantially flat configuration.